This 30-minute pomegranate edamame quinoa salad is created with simple ingredients. It’s refreshing and zesty. Perfect for making a large batch with plenty leftover for work and school lunches!
Do you hesitate to pick up a pomegranate when grocery shopping? It seems a lot of effort just to open it, doesn’t it? Let me tell you, the vibrant, shiny red arils, or seeds inside are so exotic that it’s well worth the trouble.
Hey, let’s not forget the inner beauty of pomegranate seeds. I’m often asked
“Do you eat the seeds, I mean the tiny, white, hard part inside?”
Yes, they are absolutely edible. Actually, those tiny white pits are rich in fiber and antioxidants. No wonder they’re considered a superfood.
By the way, you can head over to this video to learn how to seed a pomegranate in an easy and less messy way.
This 30-minute pomegranate edamame quinoa salad can be served either warm or cold. Since it’s still winter here in Michigan, I’ll have mine warm.
Both white and red quinoa will work really well for this recipe. Because I have the ruby red pomegranate arils in the game, I decide to go with white quinoa this time. They are one of the best gluten-free carbohydrates for a salad like this one.
The addition of the green edamame provides the protein we need for our body. They are basically young, green soybeans with a fancy name. They have next to no sodium, are low in sugar (carbs), and high in protein (17 grams/cup, cooked). Best of all, they give this quinoa salad an Asian twist.
I squeezed some lemon juice, added some salt, soy sauce, coconut sugar, and peanut butter as the dressing. It doesn’t dominate the flavor profile since I wanted the pomegranate and edamame to run the show. Of course, you can also substitute my ginger tahini lime dressing to make it more of an Asian adventure.
Don’t forget to pick up a pomegranate the next time you see them in the grocery store.
- 3 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 cup cooked edamame
- 1 small pomegranate seeded
- ½ large yellow bell pepper diced
- ½ orange bell pepper diced
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce gluten-free if desired
- ¼ teaspoons salt or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons all natural peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- Follow instructions on the packages to cook quinoa and edamame.
- Let the quinoa cool to room temperature while preparing the dressing.
- Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl until well combined.
- Combine all salad ingredients together in a serving bowl and toss with the salad dressing until well combined. If you prefer to serve the salad cold, refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.